1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dome awning frame assembled without welding from parts connected by fasteners to be secured over windows and the like on a vertical wall of a building structure to support an awning cover.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Awnings are increasingly used over residential windows and over glass covered openings in commercial building walls to shield and shade the windows without obstructing the view. Awnings typically have a frame with a plurality of ribs which are spaced apart in an array and fixed in position by means of side brackets and sometimes by connections between the individual ribs and the awning covering material itself, which may be flexible material or even light gauge metal.
Larger awnings are especially useful to cover large expanses of glass in commercial buildings, with a covering that is brightly colored and labeled. Viewed from the side and cross-section the array of ribs is pie-shaped, each of the ribs extending roughly a radial distance from a side bracket where they are connected. Viewed from the front the large commercial awnings have a cylindrical-shape in the center, representing approximately a quarter of a cylinder, and the ends taper down into opposed rounded end sections which are rounded from the top and rounded from the front to have smooth appearance.
Many awnings, especially the larger commercial awnings, are fabricated in a shop remote from the place of installation where the brackets and ribs are joined by welding the metal frame members together to form the ribs and other parts of the support structure. Sometimes the cover is made from metal as well, and welding is often used to make a completely welded assembly which must be shipped in its completed form, a difficult procedure.
Awnings of the aforesaid character are known and sometimes referred to as "dome" or "bubble" awnings and are disclosed in the prior art. Such dome awnings take various forms and directions, and are typically expensive, costly, heavy and difficult to maneuver, and importantly such designs are generally confined to the original choice of length and width and may not be adjusted without complete revision. When the use of connectable welded joints is employed, dome awnings are heavy, and priced by the piece, are expensive. When joint welding processes are employed, dome awnings are expensive to manufacture, heavy to carry and install, and have no ability to be disassembled, are space consuming and difficult to maneuver. This makes it almost impossible for awnings of this type to be mass manufactured and sold in the mass market, because the bulk precludes presenting them to the customer in a compact package.